UFC on FOX 23 – Shevchenko vs. Peña

HISTORY

UFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs. Peña (also known as UFC on Fox 23) was a mixed martial arts event promoted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on January 28, 2017 at Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.[2]

A potential UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship title eliminator between multiple-time muay thai world champion Valentina Shevchenko and The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate bantamweight winner Julianna Peña served as the event headliner.[3]

A bantamweight bout between Raphael Assunção and Aljamain Sterling was originally booked for UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Abdurakhimov. However, Sterling pulled out due to an undisclosed injury.[4] The fight was later rescheduled for this event.[5]

Yancy Medeiros was expected to face Li Jingliang at the event. However in early January, Medeiros pulled out for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by promotional newcomer Bobby Nash.[6]

A middleweight bout between former Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard and Brad Tavares was expected to take place at this event, but was scrapped on January 10 due to undisclosed reasons.[7]

A week before the event, promotional newcomer John Phillips pulled out of his light heavyweight bout against Marcos Rogério de Lima and was replaced by fellow newcomer Jeremy Kimball.[8]

At the weigh-ins, de Lima came in at 209.5 lbs, over the light heavyweight limit of 206 lbs. As a result, de Lima was fined 20% of his purse, which went to Kimball and the bout proceeded as scheduled at catchweight.[9]